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Commercial and Residential Solar

10361 Jamestown St NE, Blaine, MN 55449
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Energy Storage

Efficient Solar Energy Storage: Prepare for the Unexpected

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If you have solar panels on your home, you are already experiencing the many financial and environmental benefits of a solar energy system. But with everybody working at home and children watching television or using their own computer, the increased demand for electricity means that you may be using additional power from your utility company.

Solar Energy Storage by Tesla

By adding a Tesla Powerwall energy storage battery to your new or existing solar array, you will be able to reduce both your energy costs and environmental footprint because you’ll require even less electricity from a fossil fuel provider. In addition, a solar battery is a great “insurance policy” if the unexpected happens and your area experiences a brief power outage. You won’t even notice in your home because your Tesla Powerwall will keep the lights on, TV running, and maybe best of all, you won’t have to reset all the digital clocks in the house!

Tesla Powerwall Batteries Work in Tandem with your Solar Energy System

With Powerwall, you can store solar energy generated during the day for use any time. When the sun shines on your solar panels, that surplus energy will automatically be added to your “bank” of power in your solar battery. Since the Powerwall is charging during the day when demand for electricity is lower, it can save you even more money by discharging during more expensive rate periods (usually at night) when electricity demand is higher.

Your home’s energy needs will be the Powerwall’s priority; the battery will provide power when the sun is not generating energy through your solar panels. However, the Powerwall can also be connected to the grid, so it will export excess energy to maximize your opportunity for economic benefit.

Cedar Creek Energy is a Certified Installer of the Tesla Powerwall

Installing a Tesla Powerwall with Cedar Creek Energy is easy. We take care of everything from system design, permitting, installation, financing, and monitoring. As a certified Powerwall installer, we know the ins and outs of the battery and how to maximize its benefits on behalf of our clients.

Even in the current pandemic, our people continue to work from home and are able to meet with you using our new video conference room facility as well as by phone or email. Thanks to our electronic infrastructure, we can access details of your installation from anywhere and recommend a Tesla Powerwall solution that will match your needs. It can be mounted outside or in your house and connected to your existing Cedar Creek Energy solar energy installation or included as one component of a new solar project.

Are you interested in learning more about the Tesla Powerwall or any of our other energy storage solutions? Our Energy Storage page has all the important information you’ll need to decide on the right energy storage solutions for your family. And if you’ve yet to have residential solar panels installed on your home, our team is happy to help with questions. Feel free to reach out to the trained professionals at Cedar Creek Energy by giving us a call at (763) 432-5261.

Solar Energy Storage is Especially Important Right Now

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In these unprecedented times, many of us are focused on the current pandemic and the impact it is having on our lives, jobs, and businesses. We’re all doing the best we can to prepare for anything that may come our way. In fact, some Americans are even rearranging their budgets to take into account unpredictable expenses that may arise.

While you may have questions about the future and how things will shake out in the coming months, there’s one thing of which you can be sure: you’ll still be receiving monthly statements from the energy company for the power you’re using. With everybody stuck at home, your use of electricity may increase dramatically – and so will your bills. Not only will it cost you more money, the increased demand from everybody in Minnesota means that fossil fuel power companies are having a bigger negative impact on the environment and climate change. That’s why a solar energy storage system from Cedar Creek Energy makes more sense than ever.

Now is the Time to Consider a Tesla Powerwall

Converting to solar makes more sense now than ever. A solar panel installation from Cedar Creek Energy coupled with a Tesla Powerwall storage battery will put money in your pocket every month while helping you to slow climate change.

Here in Minnesota, more than 193,000 households already rely on solar to power their homes. This is due to Minnesotans wanting to reduce their environmental footprint and also because the cost keeps falling: The price of a solar installation has dropped 38-percent over the last five years!

A solar energy system from Cedar Creek Energy will reduce your energy use throughout the year. As long as your roof, garage, backyard or other open area has a sunny spot, it can generate electricity from a solar energy system. Your solar panels will charge your new Tesla Powerwall during the day, and it then provides electricity for you into the evening.

Solar can dramatically reduce home electricity use while creating a source of income for many homeowners – which is especially important now. This is because state law requires utilities to purchase your excess electricity from your solar energy system. In the summer months, it’s likely you will actually receive a credit on your electric bill. And because the Federal Reserve is actively trying to keep money flowing through the economy, financing is easy and interest rates are at an historic low.

Working with a Trustworthy Team of Solar Energy Storage Installers Will Save You Money

Not only has Cedar Creek Energy been designing, installing, and maintaining solar energy systems in Minnesota for more than 13 years, we are also a certified installer of Tesla Powerwall solar storage batteries.

Even though we’re all working at home just as you are, we can meet with you in our video conference room, on the phone, or by email. Thanks to our electronic infrastructure, we are able to handle all aspects of your design, financing referrals, permitting, and inspections.

You don’t need to worry about our crews when they come to your home to install your solar energy system and the Tesla Powerwall; each of our employees has been trained on the precautions needed to keep them – and you – safe. We’ll assign a dedicated crew to your project, and they will work with you until it is finished. Each crew member is sanitizing their hands before and after appointments, and we are all practicing social distancing.

If you have any questions about whether a solar energy system from Cedar Creek Energy makes sense for you, feel free to give the Cedar Creek Energy team a call at (763) 432-5261.

How to Take a Cross-Country Trip with Your Electric Vehicle

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Now that school is out and the weather is glorious, you might be considering a road trip. You’re not alone: around 50 million Americans are planning to pack up the family vehicle and take a vacation this summer. Spending some quality time as a family is certainly an admirable goal for your vacation, but have you considered the impact your gas-powered vehicle will have on the environment? I don’t want to bring you down before your long-anticipated trip, but I will say it’s not good news. In fact, vehicle emissions are one of the leading causes of pollution in our country. That’s not to mention the rising cost of gasoline, which can put a big dent in any family’s road trip budget.

So, what’s an environmentally conscious road tripper to do? My suggestion is to take your road trip in an electric vehicle. Whether you’re in the market for a new car and decide to buy an electric vehicle or you simply choose to rent one for a week, you can feel confident that your choice of transportation is creating a smaller carbon footprint. Read on to learn more about what makes electric vehicles a great choice for your summer road trip!

The Benefits of Driving an Electric Vehicle

Electric vehicles (EVs) have fewer operating costs and emissions while remaining reliable and family-friendly. They are much cheaper to operate than a traditional car because you don’t have to fuel up to get around town. And it’s getting easier and easier to find a place to charge your EV when you’re on the go. For example, Tesla’s network of EV charging stations is extensive and affordable to use, and you can map out your trip to find the best charging station route. A Tesla Supercharger station charges your Tesla vehicle completely in as few as 75 minutes in some cases!

Since EVs don’t run on fossil fuels, they aren’t emitting harmful gases while they’re being driven. That means you can feel good about taking that long trip to Grandma’s house this summer, whether you do it once or once a week! Even better – when EV charging stations are used in conjunction with solar panels, they take free clean energy from the sun and turn it into the type of energy you can use to power your vehicle. Zero cost, zero fossil fuel emissions, and zero guilt no matter how often you need to use your car.

You may also be surprised to learn that many electric vehicles have quite long-lasting batteries. Some Tesla models can drive over 300 miles on a single charge, and with optimal charging equipment you may only have to take a couple hours’ break from driving to charge the battery. That means you could get from Minneapolis to Mount Rushmore with only one recharge of the car’s battery!

Installing A Home EV Charging System

If you choose to purchase an electric vehicle, Cedar Creek Energy can easily install a charging system in your home so you can charge your car in your garage, driveway, or elsewhere. You’ll never have to leave home early to fill up on gas again! Just plug your car into its EV charging station when you get home, and it will be ready to go the next time you need to do some driving.

So, if you’re sold on the idea of an electric vehicle and would like a charging station installed in your home, give Cedar Creek Energy a call. We provide electric vehicle charging station installation for both residential and commercial purposes. Contact us by calling (763) 432-5261.

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Store Your Extra Solar Energy with Tesla’s Powerwall

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Tesla Powerwall = 24/7 Solar Independence

Did you know that you can store surplus solar energy to supplement your system’s output when there would otherwise be no energy available? This is made possible through battery storage systems such as Tesla’s Powerwall. When combined with a solar energy array, battery packs allow for even greater energy independence.

For most companies, a power outage is crippling. Without the use of lights and internet, it can be extremely difficult to run a business. Even short electricity interruptions during summer storms can mean valuable time is spent getting systems up and running so you can continue your work. When you store surplus energy that has been produced by your commercial solar energy system, you may be able to avoid these short interruptions.

In the summer, when sunlight is plentiful in Minnesota, you will likely be producing a surplus of energy. This is a great time to store energy to augment your system’s abilities. Your battery storage may come in handy in the darker winter months when your solar panels are producing less energy. To give you more of an idea what to expect year-round from your system, Cedar Creek Energy provides each client with a production/consumption dashboard. This will allow you to view your solar production and your electric consumption on a daily basis.
Want to learn more about energy storage, the Tesla Powerwall, and solar energy? Contact us today!

Solar Energy Brings You Round-the-Clock Sustainability

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When discussing sustainable energy options like solar panels, inquiring minds often wonder: Does solar work at night? Well, it depends. If your question is whether the solar panels are generating energy at night, the answer is no. Since solar panels absorb the energy of the sun’s rays to power your home or business, there is not a source from which they can absorb energy once the sun sets.

However, using solar energy does allow for sustainable energy solutions at night. There are several round-the-clock ways for you to utilize energy that has been produced by your system. For example, net metering through your utility company can allow you to make the most of the energy your system produces throughout the day. You can also install energy storage options like solar batteries that will store excess energy so you can use it when your system is not producing. Let’s delve into these options in more detail to illustrate how solar energy keeps working all night long.

Net metering means free energy at night

Many grid power companies use net metering to help home solar energy users make the most of their system’s output. Here’s how net metering works. During the day, your solar panels are working fast and furious to soak up free energy from the sun. They will generally reach their top potential during the brightest parts of the day, which also happen to be times when most people are at work. Because of this, your home solar system will likely be harnessing more energy than you can use.

With net metering, any surplus energy will be transferred to the grid so the power company can use it as it is available to help power other homes and businesses. But think of this as an “energy loan” because when you need it back later in the month it will be available to you at no cost. Net metering is one of the most useful ways to get the most of your solar array at night and on cloudy days, but don’t fret if your power company doesn’t offer such a program. There is another option, solar energy storage, which I’ll elaborate on in a moment.

Net metering can still be helpful for commercial solar energy users, but it may not be necessary; their solar array will be producing maximum energy during work hours when the building is being used the most, so there may not be as many concerns about overnight power.

Solar batteries provide a clear-cut path towards energy independence

The only way to achieve true energy independence and not rely on grid power is by purchasing an energy storage system to work congruently with your solar array. Combining solar panels with battery storage will allow you to save excess solar energy generated during the day, which is used to run your company or household at night.

In addition to the nighttime benefits provided by solar batteries, you can also use their stored energy if grid power goes down. You know how, a couple of times each year, the power goes out for just long enough to reset all your electronics? And you have to reprogram every digital clock in your house? Solar batteries can help you avoid that scenario. They fill in those rare gaps when your usage and your system’s output don’t match up.

There are many models of solar batteries on the market; the one thing they all have in common is that they will be most efficient when installed by an experienced, local solar panel installation company. Both new solar users and those with solar panels already installed can benefit from solar batteries.

If you’re hesitant about solar energy because you don’t know if it will work for you at night, don’t be! Solar energy is adequate for round-the-clock power on top of being a cleaner, greener energy option. To get started with a free energy audit and consultation, give Cedar Creek Energy a call at (763) 432-5261. You can also reach us via our website.

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Smart Homes: The Future is Now

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Since the era of The Jetsons, the idea of using advanced technology in your home to make life easier has been appealing to Americans. While we may not have the technology to create human-like housecleaning robots just yet, there’s no denying that many technological concepts previously considered to be Sci-Fi mumbo jumbo have come to fruition in recent years. Smart thermostats, smart TVs, smart lighting…the list goes on. It’s become easy for homeowners to connect several aspects of their home together to make one integrated system, which many find easier to control and maintain. Advanced technology allows homeowners the ability to monitor energy usage from a computer or smart phone, thus saving money and embracing an energy efficient lifestyle.

If you are interested in making your home a smart home, solar energy installation is a great place to start. A solar energy system can easily be integrated into any smart home configuration to power the devices in your home using a natural renewable energy source, the sun!

Pairing Your Solar System with Smart Home Features

It’s the obvious choice to pair solar energy with other advanced technology because solar is fundamentally the most affordable, technologically advanced energy source available to the average consumer. If you’re interested in cutting-edge technology for the home, solar energy has probably already ended up on your list. You can use solar panels and energy storage to increase your energy independence while monitoring the precise input and output of your system. If you’re the type of person who likes to know where your money is going every month (and who isn’t), the technology of a solar energy dashboard can show you everything you need to know.

Monitor Energy Usage on Another Level

Your smart home devices can help optimize the usage of the energy produced by your solar panels. As a Cedar Creek Energy solar client, not only will you have access to your solar dashboard to oversee the energy your panels are creating, you’ll also be able to use other systems to precisely monitor the usage of that energy throughout your home. For example, if your home is equipped with a smart lighting system, you’ll be able to study your usage monitoring program to see exactly how much you’re spending on lighting each month. You can then adjust your automated settings to ensure your home is being lit only when necessary to reduce your energy consumption.

Additional Energy Saving Smart Home Products

In addition to using solar for your home, there are a variety of other devices you can use to further monitor your energy consumption and maximize your monthly savings. For example, smart lighting can be adjusted depending on the time of day or the type of mood you want a room to have. Most smart lighting is also exceptionally energy efficient, making it a cheap and easy way to have more control over both your energy bills and the ambiance in your home. Some LED light bulbs can even change color!

Smart thermostats are another option for decreasing energy usage; they can regulate temperature more efficiently than a traditional thermostat to save you money on your heating and cooling costs. You can even set up sprinklers and other watering systems to keep your lawn and plants looking great without you having to remember to water them! The one common thread between smart home products is their ability to “learn” or remember the settings that work best for you and your family, whether you are concerned about energy consumption or simply creating the most comfortable home.

Making Your Smart Home a Reality

If you’re ready to create your own “home of the future,” you’ll want to enlist the help of trained professionals who are experienced in solar, LED lighting, and energy storage. You can get started creating your own smart home by contacting Cedar Creek Energy, a Minnesota solar energy company, to learn more about all the ways you can equip your home with the newest energy saving technology.

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